Strong Enough Analysis

Men and women in our culture are constantly forced to act a certain way. Humanity takes joy in dictating how each gender should behave. In Jock Culture by Robert Lipstye and Strong Enough by Wendy Shanker, we learn countless pressures and insecurities both women and men face in today’s society. The tension placed on both men and women to meet a certain standard often lead to catastrophic outcomes. Unfortunately, both men and women constantly feel the pressure of fitting into society’s norms, and fitting into these norms comes with many consequences.
Insecure women aren’t born, they are made. In Strong Enough, Shanker introduces her personal experience on what being treated as an outcast feels like. Due to rejecting a boy from having sex with her, she is then seen as a “lez”. Shanker feels it is devastating that a girl can’t make her own decisions without automatically being labeled. Majority of the reason she is made fun of and is called a “lez” is because she is fat. Shanker states, “I’m not gay. But as a fat girl, lots of people assume I am.” Just because Shanker doesn’t fit the
Lipsyte states, “Men have tradiotnally been taught to pursue their jock dreams no matter the physical, emotional, or finaicaial cost” (307). These men are taught to be tough and aggressive and are constanly told to take risks in their life. With this kind of pressure men tend to be more aggresive with friends, siblings, friends and girls. Jocks live life with the mentalittly that the world revoles around them, but of course being a jock is still better then being a repulsive puke. Due to this outcome, Lipsyte states, “No wonder there are so many abusive athletes, emotionally stunted ex-atheletes, and resentful onlookers” (307). If more men are given this pressure, society will get more dangerous and will have drastic consequences. All the pressure these men receive, just so they don’t look like the ridiculous person in the athletic